Methods and systems for monitoring and detection of different incidents are well known. These comprise use of surveillance cameras for capturing visual information from an area to be monitored.
A surveillance camera is typically a panoramic camera for establishing an overview of a scene. This can be combined with a PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) camera for focusing on points of interest in the scene. Use of panoramic cameras based on line scanners as well as tilting controlled PTZ cameras is known.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,183 A describes a panoramic television surveillance system comprising a line scanner on a rotating platform for producing panoramic images. This will produce high definition panoramic pictures. The publication does however not describe features for zooming in on points of interest and for coordinating panorama pictures and zoomed in pictures.
US 2011/310219 A1 describes a monitoring system with a PTZ camera which is autonomously controlled by an algorithm detecting motion in scenes from a panorama camera. It does however not describe a flexible system with a separate panorama camera and PTZ camera enabling an operator to select a specific point of interest in a high definition panorama picture presenting the scene, and where this point is zoomed in and where each camera sends video and pictures independently to a control station where video and pictures can be processed and viewed separately or integrated. The solution described does further not comprise a high definition line scanner and does not allow a PTZ camera to automatically perform complex tasks like scanning a predefined route or jump between predefined positions.
Prior art systems for monitoring are not suited for monitoring large areas being displayed as high definition panoramic pictures for operators located at remote locations, and where an operator can select a point of interest from a panorama picture for zooming in and where the zoomed in part of the scene is merged with the appropriate part of panoramic picture.
Existing monitoring installations present information from different camera systems, recorded at different observation areas, on separate monitors in operation rooms. Normally this call for use of several operators or that one operator is moving the focus to the different monitoring for updating an overview of the situation.
There is a need for a method and system for monitoring an observation area by enabling an operator located at a remote location to zoom in on a selected part of a high definition panorama picture, as if the operator where standing in the field of the observation area using binoculars zooming in on a point of interest in the field of view. In order to provide such a method and system the exact pointing direction of the part of the panoramic picture that is zoomed in must be coordinated with the correct position in the zoomed in picture when producing a merged picture. A merged picture will thus show a panoramic overview picture of an area together with a zoomed in picture which is positioned in the area of the panoramic picture that is zoomed in. The zoomed in picture may for instance be video.
The present invention will simplify the daily routine for each operator substantially and the number of operators can thus in most cases be reduced. The invention enables use of and simultaneous access to accessible data from different camera systems and sensors from different operation areas from a remote operation centre. Data visualization and representation can thus be realized on only one monitoring device.
An operator can remotely operate both panorama camera and PTZ video camera in one or several observation areas from a distant location in a safe environment with respect to specific needs. This contributes significantly to increased quality and safety at the workplace of the operator.
The present invention comprises a system and a method for monitoring at least one observation area, and more specifically a system and method for improved monitoring and situational awareness by combining and merging real time panorama images with real time video as well as real time information from other sensors like range information and radar images, together with computer generated synthetic information like terrain models and object labels from the observation area that is to be monitored.
The invention is described by combining use of different camera technologies and sensors for capturing, processing and coordinating of signals from these and presenting these together with computer generated information.
The invention is realized in a flexible system for monitoring and controlling and it enables a realistic visual presentation of one or more observation areas even if available band width for transferring data with information is restricted.
The invention is flexible and comprises features not found in prior art. Examples of these are adjusting rotation speed of a rotating platform equipped with a line scanning camera that is providing a panorama pictures, and where this is done according to correct exposure, available band width etc. Another example is the incorporation of a laser range finder or radar, to obtain more details of the target and 3D laser scanner for providing 3D visualization of an observation area.
The present invention further comprises a monitoring and controlling station being used to display independent images from an observation area and presented simultaneously on the same display. Other information as terrain models, geo-tags (names, height, distance), and information from other sensor can also be presented.
The present invention is flexible and comprises features not found in prior art.